Unnecessary delay

The Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) has released its report on the performance of election tribunals in the country, noting that only 25 out of 377 election petitions were disposed of by the tribunals. Out of these disposed petitions, four pertained to National Assembly (NA) constituencies and 21 to provincial assembly (PA) constituencies. The Fafen report says that the ongoing operations of the tribunals, particularly in Punjab, do not reflect the spirit of the law due to multiple factors, including prolonged legal interpretation differences between the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Lahore High Court (LHC) regarding the notification of six tribunals in the province, which has rendered them dysfunctional. The eight tribunals notified in Punjab thus far have a cumulative caseload of 157 election petitions and, with six tribunals in Punjab still inactive, this slow pace may result in multiple petitions lingering beyond the legal deadline of 180 days from the date of their filing. This delay does not look good at all and if the election tribunals miss their 180-day deadline, it would mean another controversy regarding the February 8 elections.

The year 2023 was all about the general elections. There were speculations about whether the elections would ever take place and if they did, when. The entire year saw uncertainty after the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies were dissolved by the PTI. From the president announcing election dates to the ECP’s dilly-dallying, from the old census to the new one leading to the delimitation of constituencies, from the Supreme Court under former CJ Umar Ata Bandial not being able to ensure elections were held on time to the PTI not agreeing to the election date given by the PDM government – it was one controversy after another in the lead up to the February 8 elections. Finally, it was Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa who managed to get an election date from the ECP, and that led to further speculations about the elections. Many experts thought that when elections were held, the political chaos would eventually end. However, there is still no end in sight as far as the chaos goes.

The ECP, tasked with ensuring a transparent electoral process, has failed to fulfill its responsibilities, not only on election day but even six months later. The unresolved election petitions are yet another reminder of this failure. The ECP needs to sort out these matters without any more delays. We need to put these elections behind us and that can only happen once all these appeals are heard and the election tribunals finish their work in the designated timeframe. The ongoing political instability is not just a matter of headlines; it has real and damaging consequences for the country. While politicians and power brokers engage in endless palace intrigues, the average citizen continues to suffer under the weight of a struggling economy. Skyrocketing inflation, unaffordable electricity bills, and heavy taxation have left ordinary citizens struggling to make ends meet. At the same time, the looming threat of climate change, with its potential for more frequent and severe natural disasters, is another crisis that demands urgent attention. Yet, the political drama continues to overshadow these pressing issues. And more chaos looms large with PTI founder chairman Imran Khan behind bars and speculations on what may happen after the arrest of Gen (r) Faiz Hameed. The delay in resolving election petitions only adds to the sense of instability. The ECP must demonstrate transparency and efficiency in addressing these petitions so that the country can move past the February elections and focus on more pressing challenges. The endless cycle of political controversies, compounded by economic hardships and environmental threats, cannot continue indefinitely.